The Central Region was not smaller than the Outer Area; on the contrary, it was somewhat larger.
The Demonic Beasts here generally started at the Third Tier, meaning Great Dou Masters were everywhere.
Xiao Feng had Manni and Tieshan return to the town to develop discreetly, and then he ventured here alone.
"You want to pass through?" The Mountain Ape did not block him, but merely inquired.
"Yes," Xiao Feng nodded.
The Mountain Ape said nothing more, gave Xiao Feng a glance, and left.
Xiao Feng continued forward.
If life on the periphery was heaven, then days in the Central Region were Hell.
Just for approaching a lake to get some water, he was pursued for five miles by a Fourth-Tier giant serpent.
'It clearly doesn't have a single leg, so how does it run so fast!'
The giant serpent, with a waist thicker than a water vat, spat out a cold current. Even with the cultivation of a Great Dou Master, being enveloped by it caused shivers, and even one's Dou Qi would stagnate. In the end, he only survived the ordeal by relying on his fire-attribute Dou Qi.
Sometimes while he was sleeping, the ground would suddenly shake and the sky would sway. Two Demonic Beasts that were fighting fiercely would actually join forces to hunt Xiao Feng down the moment they ran into him. Truly, he didn't even have time to spit out blood from frustration.
Six months later, Xiao Feng emerged from the Central Region. His hair was messy, his clothes were disheveled, and he looked like a monkey.
However, his gaze was as sharp as a sword, and the gentleness on his face was no longer visible; it seemed as if he might erupt at any moment.
Staring at his reflection in a stream for a long time, Xiao Feng sighed, "In this state, I can't go see Xun'er, can I?"
While passing through the Outer Area, Xiao Feng specifically searched for Xiao Linger, but whether in the woods or the valleys, there was no sign of her.
Clearly, both places were frequently inhabited.
"This girl, she's hiding from me, isn't she?" Xiao Feng thought as he turned and left.
He did not notice that from a great distance away, a pair of eyes was secretly watching him.
Returning to the town, he had just found a place to stay and hadn't even cleaned himself up when there was a knock at the door.
"Tieshan (Manni) pays respects to Young Master!" The two of them stood together outside the door.
"Come in," Xiao Feng said.
With a creak, the door pushed open, and the two walked in, becoming restless again.
In their perception, Young Master Xiao Feng had become stronger again.
"You knew I arrived so quickly; it seems the town's operations are doing well!" Xiao Feng praised.
The two bowed respectfully; this was part of their duty.
After checking the situation in the town and seeing that the two had done a commendable job, Xiao Feng gave them some pointers on their cultivation, instructed them to keep an eye out for two people, and then hurried toward Wutan City without stopping.
After an absence of nearly a year, the former Genius had been reduced to trash, even becoming the joke of the entire Empire.
Xiao Feng rode his horse, tapping on the saddle, thinking only of making the mockery even more intense.
Leading the horse all the way to the main gate of the Xiao Family, the guards stopped him.
"Is there some business you have with our Xiao Family?"
Xiao Feng's lips twitched, "I am Xiao Feng!"
"Xiao Feng?" The guards naturally knew Xiao Feng, but the youth before them had eyes like torches and an extraordinary bearing, standing out like a Dragon or Phoenix in a crowd. No matter how they looked at him, he didn't resemble the Xiao Feng who had been at Dou Qi First Stage year after year.
Xiao Feng gave a bitter smile, "Surely no one would impersonate me?"
The guard looked closely. Although his face and height had changed slightly, his features still showed glimpses of how he looked back then.
"It really is Young Master Xiao Feng!" The guard laughed, "For a moment, I thought some prince had arrived!"
Xiao Feng smiled and handed over the horse's reins, "A prince wouldn't ride this here. Is Uncle Xiao Zhan home?"
"He is, he is."
"Then I'll head in first."
Xiao Feng went all the way back to the small courtyard, but it seemed no one was there. Whether it was Xiao Zhan, Xiao Yan, or Xiao Xun Er, there wasn't a sound in the yard.
He pushed open the door to his own courtyard; the inside had been cleaned spotless. He returned to his bed, lay down for a moment, and took a deep breath.
Although there was no scent, this was the aura of home.
Perhaps due to the sudden peace of mind, Xiao Feng gradually fell asleep.
It wasn't until he vaguely smelled the aroma of food that he suddenly opened his eyes.
"What a nostalgic smell."
Xiao Feng smiled and pushed open the door.
In the main hall, Xiao Zhan, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Xun Er had just sat down. Hearing a sound from outside, they all looked over together.
For a moment, the three were stunned.
Xiao Feng walked over step by step with a smile, "Uncle Xiao Zhan, Xun'er, Huo Huo, I'm back!"
Xiao Xun Er could no longer restrain herself; she jumped up from her stool and dove into Xiao Feng's embrace, refusing to come out.
Xiao Zhan coughed several times in a row, but Xiao Xun Er ignored him.
Finally, it was Xiao Feng who coaxed her out, "Let's eat first. I'm already back, it's not like I'll run away."
Only then did Xiao Xun Er, her face flushed red, sit down to the side with downcast eyes, continuously serving food to Xiao Feng.
"When I entered the city, I heard about Huo Huo's situation. What happened?" Xiao Feng asked.
Xiao Yan, who was already silent, looked even more dejected now.
He also wanted to ignore those words like Xiao Feng did, but in the end, he couldn't.
Xiao Zhan sighed, "The Dou Qi in Yaner's body won't stop falling. No one knows what the problem is. We've consulted many physicians and even had an Alchemist check him, but we're still in the dark. They all say there's nothing wrong with Yaner's body, but if there's nothing wrong..."
As he spoke, Xiao Zhan's hands involuntarily clenched. He was watching his son fall from the high heavens into the dirt; who could accept such a gap?
"Huo Huo?" Xiao Feng looked at Xiao Yan.
"Brother Feng, what is it?" Xiao Yan raised his eyes, somewhat listless.
"You no longer have the reputation of a Genius, but you can still sit here and eat, Cultivate with those people, and even your monthly resources are more rather than less. Do you know that the pressure Uncle Xiao Zhan bears is even greater than yours? Has Uncle Xiao Zhan ever complained to you? Has he been as dejected as you?" Xiao Feng stared into Xiao Yan's eyes, "How can you have the nerve to be so depressed?"
Xiao Yan lowered his head even further.
Xiao Zhan's expression faltered; he was about to speak but was stopped by Xiao Feng.
"Uncle Xiao Zhan, don't speak. Who is he putting on this act for! Who here has wronged him? Who here doesn't want the best for him? Is he waiting for someone to push him along with this self-abandoning attitude?" Xiao Feng sneered, "Is he waiting for the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, so Uncle Xiao Zhan can beg for a marriage for him and then watch over him for the rest of his life!"
"It's not like that!" Xiao Yan suddenly roared, stood up abruptly, and ran back to his own courtyard without eating.
"Uncle Xiao Zhan, my words just now were a bit harsh, but I hope you give him some time to figure it out for himself." Xiao Feng's voice was calm, with none of the sarcastic tone from before.
"I know, you're doing this for his own good." Xiao Zhan sighed, "Forget it, let's eat first."
None of the three spoke again. They finished their meal in a hurry, and Xiao Zhan left.
Xiao Xun Er held Xiao Feng's hand, "Brother Xiao Feng, won't those words just now be too big of a blow to Brother Xiao Yan?"
"If he can't even handle this much of a blow, he might as well stop using the name Xiao." Xiao Feng shook his head, "Let him be quiet today. If there's no change tomorrow, you can go and counsel him."
"Okay."
The beautiful couple entered the small courtyard hand in hand.
While drinking tea, they talked about what had happened during this time. Most of the time it was Xiao Feng speaking and Xiao Xun Er listening.
At the end, Xiao Xun Er was excited, "So, Brother Xiao Feng has already reached the Dou Ling Realm?"
Xiao Feng frowned; he himself didn't know which step he had reached. If it was about the control of Dou Qi, he could already condense small swords with Dou Qi long ago. In terms of combat strength, a Dou Ling wouldn't be his match for even a single exchange now.
Unless the opponent defended with all their might, but why would he attack while someone was defending?
Thinking of this, Xiao Feng extended his right hand, and dense Dou Qi condensed there.
"Xun'er, what level do you think this corresponds to?"
Xiao Xun Er tried to sense it, but because she hadn't reached the corresponding Realm, she couldn't give an accurate answer, "It feels like a Great Dou Master, probably above five stars."
Xiao Feng smiled without a word. The Dou Qi in his palm began to change, shifting freely between various weapons like sabers, spears, swords, and staves. Seeing Xun'er's surprised expression, with a thought, the small sword in his palm dissipated and gradually changed into the shape of a young girl. It was palm-sized and exactly like Xiao Xun Er, vivid and lifelike.
Xiao Xun Er covered her mouth, and seeing the little figure in Xiao Feng's hand make corresponding movements, she was both shy and annoyed, clenching her small fists to hammer at Xiao Feng.
"As for the Realm, I can't say for sure myself." Xiao Feng dispersed the little figure in his hand and smiled as he rubbed the girl's head, "During this time, did you miss me?"
Xiao Xun Er's pretty face turned red, and she nodded gently.
The two embraced, whispering their feelings... This time back, Xiao Feng only missed his wife too much and didn't plan to stay long, so he left after staying for just a few days.
"Brother Feng! Next time you return, you will surely see a brand new me!" Xiao Yan stood at the door, his gaze firm. The voices of past guidance in his mind seemed to have quieted down a bit.
Xiao Xun Er had a face full of reluctance, "Brother Xiao Feng, you must come back soon!"
"Go back, go back, hurry and Cultivate. If you fall too far behind me, watch out or I might fall for someone else." While teasing Xiao Xun Er, Xiao Feng was also cheering for Xiao Yan, "Huo Huo, you too, must never neglect your cultivation."
"Mm."
Leaving this time, Xiao Feng felt the future was uncertain. Especially after discussing cultivation matters with Xiao Xun Er, he always felt he had strayed onto a deviant path.
'There's no such thing as a deviant path or a right path; it's just that one has been traveled by others, while the other has yet to be stepped upon.'
Thinking this, Xiao Feng's resolve became firm again.
Focused on moving forward, Xiao Feng did not notice the girl's gaze remained on his back until he could no longer be seen, only then did crystal teardrops fall... After returning to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Feng cultivated even more diligently and had already begun to actively provoke those overlords.
The Fourth-Tier giant serpent that had previously hunted Xiao Feng had already been beaten into submission by him. Taking on the role of a mount, it carried Xiao Feng as it slithered around.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, the giant serpent's raised head instantly flattened against the ground, motionless, as if it were dead.
Xiao Feng's heart stirred, and his Soul power spread out. In an instant, four creatures with powerful auras appeared within his perception. Every single one was a Fifth-Tiered Magical Beast, making him immediately want to retreat.
Having been swept by Soul power, the four Demonic Beasts no longer hid themselves and revealed their forms, blocking him tightly from the front, back, left, and right.
Xiao Feng looked around; they were all old acquaintances he had offended quite a bit recently.
Directly in front was a Land Turtle the size of an elephant. Even its eyes had a layer of crystals, providing defense without blind spots. It controlled at least three innate Dou Techniques. It looked slow, but once those four thick legs started running, it wasn't much slower than Xiao Feng. He had suffered because of this before and was nearly crushed to death.
To the right was a black rhinoceros, even larger than the Land Turtle. Its entire body was pitch black and shiny, and the horn at the very front of its nose even flashed with a white light. This was the famous Moon-Gazing Rhino of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, known for being petty. No one wanted to face it.
Xiao Feng had been hunted for half a month just for saying, "It's really so black it's shiny."
Xiao Feng didn't even need to look at the one behind him; just hearing that purring sound from its throat told him it was the Blazing Flame Tiger. This was the most familiar of the four, a replacement for the Mountain Ape as a sparring partner. Xiao Feng would provoke it whenever he had nothing to do.
As for the one on his left, a gray Great Eagle that stood three meters tall even while just standing there, Xiao Feng had only seen it once from a distance and shouldn't have offended it.
In any case, usually encountering just one would mean turning tail and fleeing, but now he was actually surrounded in the middle. Xiao Feng truly felt like dying.
But one thing made him extremely curious: how did these rivals, who usually fought to the death, team up to bully someone?
"No need to feel strange; I'm the one who called them over."
On a hill a bit further away, the Mountain Ape stood there, its gaze fixed right here.